There’s a poison that kills your ability to grow, achieve your goals, and do good in the world…
… that I see almost no one talking about.
“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can” – Arthur Ashe
In order for this quote to have full impact, I need to give the corollary.
Don’t try to start from somewhere other than where you are.
Don’t try to make use of resources you don’t have.
Don’t try to do something you don’t know how to do.
This is SORELY underrated wisdom. In fact, our culture currently encourages AGAINST it.
Making $500 a month now? Why not go for six figs and try to quit your job next month? Why not you?
Shoot for the moon and land among the stars!
Want to make mental healthcare accessible to all who need it?
Sure, invest all your hopes and dreams and 401K in a national network of care providers, even though you’re behind on bills, have little organizing experience, and even less marketing skills.
Heartbroken about genocide happening in a continent you’ve never been to? Why not try to figure out how to end it NOW, even though the brightest minds who are native to the region have dedicated their lives to peace have failed for decades?
This isn’t a call for pessimism or resignation. This isn’t me saying, “sit down and be realistic.” Fuck that.
Instead, this is a call to be awake to our tendency to hold ourselves up to impossible, ill-informed standards buoyed only by the kind optimism that has never been tested by reality. The same kind that political opportunists and marketing hucksters are always gleeful to take advantage of.
Hear me. It is NOT a cop out or a laziness to “start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”
In fact, it is often the shrewdest, most courageous, sensible and HELPFUL thing you can do.
(Ever have an intern with zero experience come into your office? It takes way more work to TRAIN them before they can be useful in any way. Don’t be that intern to your own project.)
Do your research. Chances are, there are people who are better-resourced already doing something similar.
This doesn’t mean you should be discouraged. Learn from them. They can help you. In a community effort, there are no lone heroes.
Instead of jumping off a cliff and saying a Hail Mary, test out a small, workable version of your vision.
Learn from it and iterate.
Never, ever compare your work to those with bigger budgets and platforms.
Arthur Ashe’s words REQUIRE you to believe in the honor and dignity of your role, wherever you are.
I wouldn’t do shit with my money and so-called “platform” if I were over here comparing myself to Mackenzie freaking Scott.
Compared to the the “all or nothing”, “be the sole hero” approach, the “Starting where you are, using what you have, doing what you can” approach allows you to:
(1) cultivate an awareness of your current strengths and weaknesses,
(2) build capacity and learn what you need to know as you go,
and
(3) develop a sustainable infrastructure and the endurance you need in order to achieve your goals in the long run. (Critical.)
“I need to figure it all out and do it all NOW” is a disease of toxic, individualist capitalism.
It is more of a manifestation of our collective neurosis than it is a genuine statement of moral conviction.
It is also the principal disruptor of sustainable and equitable processes that can win at the end.
Whether your goal is building a community-nourishing business or fighting the climate crisis, keep Arthur Ashe’s words close to your heart.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
Where that takes you will surprise you.